1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable chairs of the picnic or beach variety which may be provided with a locking thermally insulated seat compartment for both carrying and insulating perishable foodstuffs, canned or bottled beverages, ice or the like.
2. Prior Art
Known folding chairs constructed of tubular aluminum with nylon or canvas covering material or the like are well known. These portable chairs have the virtue of being very light to carry and provide an inexpensive means for comfortable reclining. Many conventional chairs open merely to one position and are provided with legs. Some of these chairs include a seat portion and a back portion which is positioned directly on the sand or ground.
To spend the day at the beach, conventional practice involves using and carrying a comfortable chair, a portable cooler for beverages and lunches, and a container to hold towels and other small articles. This conventional practice is relatively expensive and cumbersome to carry. Known folding chairs have the disadvantage of not possessing any storage facilities which can hold small articles and thermally insulate perishable foodstuffs or bottled beverages.
A number of alternative means for constructing folding chairs have been proposed to overcome these recognized inadequacies of the conventional chairs. For example, several chairs have been devised with storage capability for beach or camping. Grebow et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,849 discloses such a beach chair formed of canvas with storage pockets provided on the sides of the seat for accessories.
Similarly, Menke U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,903 discloses a folding couch for beach or camping with a fabric sling arrangement for carrying and securing books and other objects.
Several arrangements have been proposed to provide a beverage or lunch container directly in a folding chair. Bramming U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,404 discloses a pair of folding seats with a container for holding vacuum bottles and sandwiches. Similarly, Davis U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,047 discloses a portable chair with a seat having therein a hollow thermally insulated container with means to introduce and dispense liquids.
Each of these alternatives has certain deficiencies. The chairs with pouches or compartments for carrying objects still require insulating means for perishable foodstuffs, fishing bait, ice or the like and are susceptible to tearing and wear as they are constructed of fabric or canvas. The portable chair in the Bramming patent still requires insulating means for foodstuffs and the glass vacuum bottles are susceptible to breakage in transport.
The alternative means proposed by Davis still require insulating and carrying means for perishable foodstuffs and the like. Additionally, this disclosure by Davis requires a wire hook securing device to a supporting plank or the like and may suffer from tipping when utilized on the beach or ground.